Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos minor

Distribution much as Greater Spotted. This is a small woodpecker
(like many of the North American species) barely bigger than a
House Sparrow. It is much overlooked as it often lives in the tops
of forest trees and does not come down to ground level. It even
drinks and bathes in water collected in holes in the trees.

If you
can see red on the crown it is a male. Otherwise the plumage has
rather more white on it than the other (bigger) spotted
woodpeckers. This is a very sedentary bird although Northern
populations are nomadic and some may even migrate. Softer and
quicker drummer than the Great and calls distinctive - provided
there are no Wrynecks about - 'pew, pew, pew ...' going on up to 15
or 20 times. Population in Britain declining and birds restricted
to England and Wales - about 5,000 pairs at the very most.

A small black and white woodpecker found over most of temperate
Eurasia.